Wednesday, June 22, 2011

I am writing from behind the walls of CorcoranState Prison and am in an isolation super maxsection (i.e. short corridor) behind politicalbeliefs not compatible to the state, andtherefore isolated not only from generalpopulation, but also other prisoners. I amwriting to inform your organization that weprisoners here at C.S.P. Corcoran are going totake part in the Pelican Bay State Prison"sHunger Strike. (emphasis in original) I haveenclosed a copy of our letter of solidarity andwould kindly ask if you could make copies orsubmit it in one of your publications so as toinform the general public of our fight to changethe inhuman conditions we are subjected to forour political beliefs or falsely identified aspolitically active in an organization. It wouldbe greatly appreciated. Enclosed is a copy of our solidarity letter.

Statement of Solidarity with the Pelican BayCollective Hunger Strike on July 1st.From: the N.C.T.T. Corcoran SHU

Greetings to all who support freedom, justice,and equality. We here of the N.C.T.T. SHU standin solidarity with, and in full support of theJuly 1st hunger strike and the 5 major actionpoints and sub-points as laid out by the PelicanBay Collective in the Policy Statements (See,"Archives", P.B.S.P.-SHU-D corridor hunger strike).

What many are unaware of is that facility 4B herein Corcoran SHU is designated to house validatedprisoners in indefinite SHU confinement and havean identical ultra-super max isolation unit­ashort corridor modeled after corridor D inPelican Bay, complete with blacked out windows amirror tinted glass on the towers so no one butthe gun tower can see in [into our cells], andnone of us can see out; flaps welded to the baseof the doors and sandbags on the tiers to prevent"fishing" [a means of passing notes, etc. betweencells using lengths of string]; IGI[Institutional Gang Investigators] transports usall to A.C.H. [?] medical appointments and wehave no contact with any prisoners or staffoutside of this section here in 4B/1C CSection­the “short corridor” of the Corcoran SHU.All of the deprivations (save access tosunlight); outlines in the 5-point hunger strikestatement are mirrored, and in some instancesintensified here in the Corcoran SHU 4B/1C C Section isolation gang unit.

Medical care here, in a facility allegedlydesigned to house chronic care and prisoners withpsychological problems, is so woefully inadequatethat it borders on intentional disdain for thehealth of prisoners, especially where diabeticsand cancer are an issue. Access to the lawlibrary is denied for the most mundane reasons,or, most often, no reason at all. Yet thesethings and more are outlined in the P.B.S.P.-SHU five core demands.

What is of note here, and something that shouldconcern all U.S. citizens, is the increasing useof behavioral control (torture units) and humanexperimental techniques against prisoners­notonly in California but across the nation.Indefinite confinement, sensory deprivation,withholding food, constant illumination, use ofunsubstantiated lies from informants are thepsychological billy clubs being used in thesetorture units. The purpose of this "treatment" isto stop prisoners from standing in opposition toinhumane prison conditions and prevent them fromexercising their basic human rights.

Many lawsuits have been filed in opposition tothe conditions in these conditions " [unreadable]yet the courts have repeatedly re-interpreted andmisinterpreted their own constitutional law "[unreadable] to support the state's continued useof these torture units. When approved means ofprotest and redress of rights are provemeaningless and are fully exhausted, then thepursuit of those ends through other means is necessary.

It is important for all to know the Pelican BayCollective is not (emphasis in original) alone inthis struggle and the broader the participationand support for this hunger strike, the othersuch efforts, the greater the potential that oursacrifice now will mean a more humane world forus in the future. We urge all who reads thesewords to support us in this effort with yourparticipation or your voices­call your local newsagencies, notify your friends on social networks,contact your legislators, tell your fellowfaithful at church, mosques, temple orsynagogues. Decades before Abu Ghraib andGuantanamo Pelican Bay and Corcoran SHUs weredescribed by Congressman Ralph Metcalfe as "thecontrol unit treatment program is long-termpunishment under the guise of what is, in fact,pseudo-scientific experimentation."Our indefinite isolation here is both inhumaneand illegal and the proponents of the prisonindustrial complex are hoping that their campaignto dehumanize us has succeeded to the degree thatyou don't care and will allow the torture tocontinue in your name. It is our belief that theyhave woefully underestimated the decency,principles, and humanity of the people. Join usin opposing this injustice without end. Thank you for your time and support.

Break the Chains.info

is a news and discussion forum for supporters of political prisoners, prisoners of war, politicized social prisoners, and victims of police and state intimidation.

This blog is organized and updated autonomously of the disbanded Break the Chains Prisoner Support Network formerly based in Eugene, Oregon. While this online project shares several of the same concerns as the old Break the Chains collective, no formal organization exists behind the current web presence.

"I will never surrender my pride and dignity nor allow the system to 'cut my tongue' and I will always, without fear, speak out against these war crimes and crimes against humanity, no matter if I spend the rest of my life in a prison cage, and draw my last breath of air laying down in this steel bed surrounded by razor-wire fences and cages, and its prison policies that are designed to destroy one's humanity…."